Chopper



Marsh 10, 1925. l

R. DERRlcK CHOPPER Filed Oct. 22. -1923 WITNESS Mmh 10, 1925. 1,529,522;

Y R. DERRICK CHOPPER Filed oct. 22. 192s 2 sheets-snee; 2

INV ENTOR A-rToRNzy WITNESS:

Patented Mar. l0, 19.25.

UNITED STATES PATENT 'noYnEnRIoK oFAHIco, TEXAS.

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Application filed. October 22,1923. ',.Serial No. 670,115.

. trolled chopper` for cotton and other plants and the like, the chopper being carried by a wheeled cultivator and being susceptiblel of manual adjustment so as to position its blades at the proper distanceabove ithe ground in the ldiscretion ofthe driver who rides on the cultivator.

Y To the attainment of the foregoing, the invention consists in the improvement as hereinafter described and definitely claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification:` i

Figure 1 is a side elevation illustrating my novel chopping mechanism in association with a wheeled cultivator.

Figure 2 is a rear end elevation of the same.

Figure 3 chopper.

Figure #l is an enlarged diametrical section of the central portion of the same.

Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all of the views of the drawings.

The wheeled cultivator portion of my improvement may be and preferably is of the ordinary Well is a top plan view ofthe rotary kno-wn construction which includes a frame 1, a tongue 2, ground wheels 3 and cultivating blades or plows 4.

In acco-rdance with my invention I provide a longitudinal bar under and in spaced relation tothe tongue 2, the said bar being numbered 5. The forward portion or arm of the lever 5 is connected in appropriate manner to the lower arm of an upright lever 7 which is fulcrumed at. an intermediate point of its length on the tongue'2. The upper arm of the upright lever 7 is connected through a bar 8 with a handle 9, the said handle 9 being positioned atl the left of and in proper relation to the drivers seat 10 to be conveniently manipulated by Vthe left hand of the driver or operator disposed in the seat l0. Connected at 6 with the longitudinal bar 5 is the frame 11 of my novel chopper which includes a rotary head 12, radial arms l5 thereon and knife blades 15X blade is off the row so as carried at vthe outerv ends of said arms..v lA shaft 13v is fixed to the said head 12- and mounted inbearings on the fra-me 11 and has a beveled gear laat its upper end. A'Ihre` said beveled gear 14E is meshedfwith a ,cori

responding.verticallydisposed gear'lfon a horizontal shaft 17, journaled 1n a bracket carriedby the frame ll, and -l fixed to; the shaft 17 is a:crank18relatively arranged-to be ,conveniently operated by the roperator inthe drivers seat 10. y

The frame 11 is fulcrumed cross-rod 12x of thegcultivator frame, Figure 2, and hence thefsaidframe is adapted to be swungin the direction olf-the length of the cultivator through the medium 9-andthe connections describe a ',Therotary chopper -is disposed there. 5

lation .illustrated to the blades o'rl plows 4.-

atl-1l" lonja j ofthe handle My novel apparatus is designed .tol be drawn; by v hitched to the apparatus, ince ofthe driver of the apparatus to position the rotary lchopper relative to the `draft animals appropriately and it is the prov-.V l

soVV

ground through the medium of the before described handle 9.

cases it is-desired to chop much closer` toY theV ground than in others, and through the ymedium of 'the handle 9 and the connections described the operator is enabled to longitudinally swing the frame 1l and thereby raise' or lower the rotary chopping member Manifestly in some and to hold the said member at various disv tances above the ground. It is also the prov ince of the driver of the apparatus to turn the crank 18 land thereby rotate the chopper Whenever occasion demands.' Foriinstanoe, as long as one of the knife blades l5X is crosswise of the row being traversed by theV apparatus the said knife blade will cut everything in its path. When, however, the driver of t-he apparatus observes a stalk of cotton, corn or any other plant that he desires to leave in the row, he simply turns the cra-nk 18 until the knife blade is off the row, whereupon the chopper clears and passes thestalk of cotton or the like.` Th'e driver then again turns the crank 18 and the chopper until the next knife blade is crosswise of the row. When another stalk is encountered that is to be left in the row, the driver by the means described again turns the chopper until the last-named knife to clear the said stalk, Vafter which the `chopper is again msV wise ofitherowf and-'so on,tliezoperation de,- scribed.VIE being #repeated at each` stalk Len'- countered with the result that Moreover it will be noplant leftin the row the blades or of the apparatus. ticed that each sta-lk or is adequately cultivated by plows 4 after the chopper clearst-he"saidstalk or plant.

By 'reference to Figure.v l'it willbe Linden' stoodthatin operationt'he rear-bl'ades`15" are-dispos'e'd' below the surface'of the ground atan angle to...said'surface, vdueto the inclination' of the. frame l1. The .front blades-15X arel'designed topassover` the '.top's4 ofthe plants.v AAsmany'oft-he plants as the 'opera tordesiresare cut by vrea-r blades-at points belo-wtlre surface rof the ground.

In addition to the .practicalV `advantages ascribed to ymy improvement it will be noted that 'ther-same isfsimple and inexpensive in e constructionand is.` well-adapted to withstand` the-.usage to' which apparatus Iof cor'- responding lcharacter is ordinarily subjected.

plants are lef-t -v at such points as are desired by'thewdriver' of Y the :parts lfemlo-raced' in; the present and preferred ffembodi ment `of-fin'y invention in Orderrfto impart a full, clear and exact understandi-ng'of the said embodiment. I do not desire, however, to be understood as coniining myself to the specific construction and relative arrangement of parts inasmuch in the future practice of the invention various changes and modilicationsl may be made such as fall within` the scope of my in'- ventionfas defined in my appended claim.

Having described l claim'jand desire to secure by Letters-Patent,

fIna chopping apparatus, the combination of. a wheeled frame, a tongueY connected thereto, a longitudinal bar spaced below the tongue, an upright lever fulcrumed onthe tongue and'having its lower arm :connected with the-'forward arm vof the longitudinal bar,"ahandleconnected 'with the upper arm off thel upright lever, a frame pivoted at an intermediate "point ofy its lengthV of the wheeled vframe and connected tofsaidbar, a rotary chopper supported byl the longitudinal'bar and second frame,fand manual means Ion. thefsecondiframe 'for rotating saidchop'per.

'Inftestimony whereof I -aliix my signature.

ROY DERRICK.

rmyr invention, what I y 

